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Shazam! Recruits Thor: Ragnarok & Aquaman Stunt Coordinator

With Justice League gaining most of the headlines of late, development on Shazam! has been quietly moving forward. The DC adaptation is still set to release in 2019 according to director David F. Sandberg, with pre-production moving quickly and the project getting some solid hires under its belt.

A number of these, of course, have been members of the cast. Shazam! has picked up Zachari Levi as its lead, with Kingsman's Mark Strong in talks for the role of villain Doctor Sivana. However, it's not just the cast that is being brought in, with the production also gaining vital members of its crew, and it's now been confirmed that Shazam! has found its stunt coordinator.

Omega Underground has revealed that Kyle Gardiner will be joining the project as stunt coordinator. Gardiner has a strong list of credits to his name, working on stunts for superhero movies such as Thor: Ragnarok and upcoming DC film Aquaman, as well as the likes of Alien: Covenant and Hacksaw Ridge. Given his previous experience, no doubt Gardiner will add a wealth of expertise to Shazam! when production starts next year.

Although many fans have been a little concerned about the DC Extended Universe, with the problems behind the scenes for Justice League well publicized, Shazam! instead has been efficiently moving forward as a project. Sandberg already has the Shazam! production designer and cinematographer in place, reuniting with Annabelle: Creation's Jennifer Spence and Maxime Alexandre, and Gardiner is yet another sound pick for the production.

Indeed, Shazam! certainly seems to be taking its own path in comparison to some of the other DC movies. Although both Wonder Woman andJustice League incorporated moments of humor and lighthearted elements, Shazam! is currently set to be one of the most lighthearted DC movies yet, with Sandberg stating that the film will be a "departure" from the DCEU's current tone.

Of course, it's still very early days for the project, and although things are seemingly going perfectly for now, there are bound to be a few hiccups along the way. With Sandberg's clear belief in the project, as shown by his tongue-in-cheek quip about the DCEU cancellation rumors, there's plenty of reasons for fans to be confident about Shazam! at this moment in time. Let's hope that this positivity can continue as the movie enters full production.